An Interview with Chat Noir
by SailorToni
Summary: After a video is posted online of Chair Noir transforming, Adrien's life is thrown into chaos. And Alya shows up at the worst moment for an interview about the mysterious Ladybug.


The internet was full of fake news, misunderstood topics, and the ego of every wannabe influencer. Usually people would dismiss what they saw as another false story, and that's what he would hoping would happen. They would dismiss the video as some sort of deep fake, because why would a famous model, moonlight as a superhero? That's such a silly idea, nobody would believe it. But they did, and now six hours later, Adrien Agreste was hiding under his bed.

"You can't stay there forever," said Plagg.

"You don't know that. Maybe this is my life now, sleeping under beds, darting through shadows, living on the edge," Adrien replied.

"Really? Is that were going with?"

"What else am I supposed to do? Everyone knows now! My father probably knows now, and he'll freak out! I'll be locked in my room again, all privileges gone, and…" Adrien awkwardly turned around, staring at his ceiling. "What will Ladybug think?"

"Ladybug? I don't know, maybe she'll like that you're a famous model? Maybe she'll be so enamored that she won't notice how dorky you are?"

"_**Thank you Plagg**_."

"Your welcome, now get out and let's go! I'm hungry, and you're out of cheese."

"I just bought some cheese yesterday!"

"It's not the kind I like."

"You know you're a real slave driver Plagg."

"Yeah whatever," Plagg flew around the room opening and closing the cabinets like a human staring at a full fridge, dissatisfied by what's in it.

Adrien groaned into his hands. Sometimes he wished he lived in Plagg's world, where everything was so simple and easy. He didn't have to deal with responsibilities or controlling parents, or rejections from very beautiful girls. Would she still like him? Or would she make the same assumptions as everyone around him? He didn't think so, but what if? The thought stressed Adrien out, making crawl further under the bed. Hand wringing themselves to death as he thought about it all.

When he his bedroom door open. Oh no was that his father? He thought, but no. It was Alya? She was tiptoeing through his space, camera in hand.

"Adrien? Adrien, that girl is in your room," Plagg whispered, no Plagg couldn't whisper to save his lunch. Plagg almost yelled at him, in his scraggly voice.

"Yes, I see that," Adrien whispered back.

"Why?"

"I don't know, but let's ask her." Alya was rummaging through his desk, taking pictures of some of his files. "Hey Alya?" She jumped. "What are you doing in my room?"

"What am I doing? Well, I- ugh, I'm here for an interview with the great Cat Noir!" She said.

"An interview? Alya I don't think this is the-"

"You know ladybug, right?"

"Yeah bu-"

"I run the Ladyblog, I know almost everything on Ladybug, but you've actually talked to her, and fought with her. So, tell me Cat Noir what is it like working with Ladybug? Is she amazing? I mean of course she is-"

"Woah Alya, I don't think this is really the best time-"

"Why not? Oh, what's her favorite color? Does she have a favorite weapon? What is like to work with her? Does she like anybody? Do you know her secret identity?"

"Uh um I don't know, her staff? She's really great and uh, does she like anybody?! Uh well I don't know-"

'You don't know if she likes anyone or you don't know her secret identity?"

"Both? I ugh-"

"I thought you guys were partners?"

"We are!"

"But don't know a lot about her?"

"Well I -" Adrien didn't know a lot about Ladybug, but he knew, "ladybug is one of the nicest braves people I know, I don't need to know her favorite color to know she's an incredibly good person with a heart of gold."

Alya paused, her lips paused into a thin line. "Interesting."

"Yeah anyways you should get going-"

"Adrien!" The two of them froze at the new voice. It was his father.

"Alya you need to go, my father doesn't want me to have friends around without his permission," Adrien pushed her towards the door.

"But your Cat Noir? Just tell him what's going on-"

"Alya my Father isn't the most understanding person."

He should explain more, but his doorknob was jiggling. His father only giving a moment's notice before storming into the room. His fist red from how hard he was clutching them. He called out Adrien's name several times, pushing various items out of the way. His permanent ambiguous face now a deep scowl as images of ladybug slid past on his son's screensaver. The sound of the computer crashing rattled through the mansion as Adrien guided Alya down the pristine stairs. Her bright person being the only splash of color in the Agreste's cold ice mansion.

"Adrien? Where are we going?" She asked.  
"Away from here. Come on, before someone finds us."

Running from the mansion, Adrien pushed his friend up a nearby fire escape, pushing her to follow him across Paris rooftops.

"He didn't look too happy." Alya commented, more to herself than to Adrien.  
"I don't think he ever felt happiness." Plagg joked, his petite black body flying around Adrien's head.

Adrien jumped over a large alleyway, his feet mimicking his Cat Noir sense of style.

"Wait!" Alya called out. "I can't make it that far!"

"Yes, you can, the roofs are deceitful about their heights, it's actually a small jump when you time it right." She didn't believe him. "Here you jump, I'll catch you."

"Promise?"

"A cat would never back on his promise!" Adrien smiled for the first time that day, throwing his hands out to her.

She ran, stopped, backed up, and repeated this process a few more times. Each time the oncoming gab twisting her stomach and stalling her feet.

"Alya! I know you can do it! If Ladybug was here, she would believe in you to."

"Really?"

"Yeah, now come on, if you stop, you're gonna fall. You have to do it in one big motion. Like cat."

"Or a ladybug" Alya muttered. Lightly smacking her face before running at full speed, leaping over the gap and crashing into Adrien's arms. The sunlight catching his hair just so that she could see why her friend had such big feelings for him.

"See! You did it! Now let's go." Adrien let her go, running towards the next rooftop.

"Go where? Where are we going?" She followed him.

Adrien didn't know where they were going, "To find Ladybug!" he called out, his voice more confident than he was. Eventually the two stopped, Alya short of breath, at the rooftop near the Eiffel tower. It was where him and Ladybug usually met up, the building also looked over on of Paris oldest streets. A rose vine grew a few buildings over, he knew it by heart as that's where he stole all of those roses for Ladybug.

"So, uh Adrien, Chat Noir, where is she?" Alya asked, taking her water bottle from her bright orange and green backpack.

"Well ugh, we usually meet up here after all the attacks, so maybe she'll show up?" he wasn't sounding confident anymore.

"You really don't know who she really is?"

"No."

"Does she know who you are?"

"Maybe? It's all over TV right now. It would be hard not to," Adrien collapsed into his usual spot.

"So, you guys worked together but didn't know your secret identities?"

"Yes, Alya we didn't know. We don't need to know to fight crime."

"Yeah, but are you not curious?"

"I am,"

"Then why not ask her?" Alya was asking the real questions, like a perfect reporter for her blog. But each one felt like an arrow to Adrien's heart.

"Because it's a sensitive topic? If her identity got out it would have consequences, for the both of us. Hawkmoth wants her power for something and he knew who she was, he would attack anyone she knew in order to get her power. Plus, any enemies we made would go after her." Alya sat next to him, listening to every word.  
"And what about you? Couldn't the same be said about you?"  
"Yeah," Adrien didn't know if he could go back home. Maybe he could live with Nino or Marinette. Or he could live as a street cat, ladybug would find that amusing. "It'll be fine, I can take care of myself."

Alya wasn't convinced. "Wouldn't ladybug be able to help you?"

"Maybe this is all the fault of an Akuma and everything can go back to normal tomorrow." he joked.

"Hopefully, But Adrien I have some other questions, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Sure, now that you _asked_, I be more than welcomed to answer them."

Hours later Alya descended the Paris rooftops waving Adrien goodbye. Her phone full of answers for her ladyblog. Adrien walked her home wishing her a goodnight. Walking down the Paris streets alone. Plagg was there to comfort him. If moaning about a lack of cheese was comforting

"Plagg you might have to get used to lower quality cheese now that we can't go back," He joked. Plagg gasped, the mere suggestion causing him to whine and complain. The noise filling the foggy night. Adrien laugh, his feet taking them somewhere.

In the distance he saw Marinette's bakery. The smell of bread uplifting his spirits. And a flash of white dashing them. Down a dark alleyway was an Akuma, flying towards its next victim. He followed it, leaping over the trash and bikes that stood in his path. Until his heels froze to the ground, the fog thicker than guilt, but as solid as broken promise. In the darkness stood his father, surrounded by white butterflies. Adrien wished this could all be fake, like a scary story online. The Twist so obvious only a moron couldn't see it coming.


End file.
